|
APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2009 ATM—MARCH 2O09
<br /> Original Projected Avalon FY2008 Avalon FY2009
<br /> Grades Student Count on Actual Students Actual Students
<br /> Completion of Avalon at (as of 11/01/07) (as of 3/19/09)
<br /> Lexington Hills Partially occupied Fully occupied
<br /> K-5 23 14 59
<br /> 6-8 9 5 28
<br /> 9 - 12 9 6 31
<br /> Total 41 25 118
<br /> The school administration has not been able to restore program or staff cuts from previous years or lower
<br /> fees for the various programs and services paid for by parents. After the spring 2006 override was not
<br /> approved by voters, fees were instituted starting in September 2006 to cover the cost of the long-standing
<br /> elementary instrumental music program, and were either raised and/or restructured to fund athletics,
<br /> transportation to school, and school lunches. Most of the fees in FY2010 will remain the same as for
<br /> FY2009, except for increases to preschool tuition, full day kindergarten tuition (see separate section on
<br /> FDK below), and possibly the school lunch program. Details can be found in the Lexington School
<br /> Committee Recommended Budget, Fiscal Year 2010 (the"Blue Book"),pp. 24-25.
<br /> Expenses. For the first time in three years, the FY2010 approved budget includes a 10.25% increase in this
<br /> category which comprises supplies, materials, special education out-of-district tuition and transportation,
<br /> consultants, etc. For the key drivers of this increase, please refer to the Blue Book, pp. 19-20. Even with
<br /> this proposed increase, expenses will comprise only 16% of the budget, with salaries and wages comprising
<br /> the remaining 84%.
<br /> % of FY08 % of FY09 ADJ % of FY10 % of
<br /> FY07 Actual Budget Actual Budget STM Budget Request Budget
<br /> Salaries
<br /> &Wages $46,266,396 82% $49,786,875 83% $54,407,961 84% $55,926,576 84%
<br /> Ex enses $10,490,306 18% $10,406,905 17% $10,006,178 16% $11,031,717 160o
<br /> Total
<br /> Budget $56,756,702 100% $60,193,780 100% $64,414,139 100% $66,958,293 100%
<br /> Speeial Education Expenses
<br /> Because special education expenses are such a significant and challenging part of the school budget, we
<br /> have elected to discuss these expenses in a separate section. This section deals in particular with three
<br /> elements of the special education budget: out-of-district tuition,transportation, and new programs.
<br /> Out-of-district tuition. When the Town is unable to meet the needs of a special education student within
<br /> the Lexington Public School system, state law requires that the student be sent to a program outside the
<br /> system, and that the Town pay for these services. Tuition for students requiring out-of-district services is
<br /> projected to increase in FY2010 by $752,511 over the FY2009 budget, a net increase of 16.8% after
<br /> reimbursement received under the circuit breaker program (discussed below). The number of students
<br /> budgeted in FY2010 is less than was budgeted in FY2009. The increase in spending is the result in part of
<br /> an average projected increase in tuition expenses of 8.9%. In addition, the FY2010 budget does not benefit
<br /> from a one-time reimbursement of$300,000 in accumulated reserves that was received from LABBB in
<br /> FY2009. The LABBB offset was a fund balance allocated to member districts of the collaborative to offset
<br /> expenses in the current fiscal year. FY2009 was the first year that it was available and it may or may not be
<br /> available in future years. The FY2010 budget also assumes lower circuit breaker payments.
<br /> Page 12 of 59
<br />
|